On 5/26/2013 8:16 PM, Dave Smith wrote:
> On 26/05/2013 5:36 PM, Ema Nymton wrote:

>> We will be buying a rider in the next 6-8 weeks. If you hear someone
>> shouting for joy, you will know we have it.
>
> Don't wait that long. I don't know about where you live but around here
> at this time if year I have to mow the lawn at least twice a week. I
> have more than an acre of grass to cut. It is divided into 5 different
> areas, I have two streams through the property and dozens of trees. I
> would be lost without my tractor mower.

When I lived in PA, this time of year I would have to mow 3 times in two
weeks. Short season, cold climate grass grows fast once the temps get
above 70 degrees with regularity.

Here in the South, it is seldom necessary to move more than twice every
three weeks... usually once every other week will do. But we mow all
year, although in December through February, we slow down to once every
3 weeks.


> Yesterday morning I decided to give it another try. I poured a little
> alcohol into the breather... to help ignition and absorb water that
> might have been in the carburator. Then I disconnect the gas line from
> the (new) filter, and trained about a half pint of gas. Put it back
> together, started it up and it is now running better than it has run in
> years.

You did all the right things. Depending on the engine, there might also
be a kink in the carburetor linkage that is hanging things up (when the
engine gets hot, the carb choke/air settings change). Spray lube everything.

I had a mower that did the same thing and it drove me nuts. Finally
figured out that when I replaced the fuel line, I cut the hose too long.
When it was cold, it worked fine. When the engine warmed up, the line
got soft enough and kinked... cutting off gas supply.


> When I had a push mower I used to cut at least one section of lawn each
> night and by the time I finished it was time to start back at the
> beginning. If it rained I missed a night and had to make up for it. With
> the tractor mower I can mow the entire lawn in about an hour and a half.

Right now, we are mowing about 3 acres (+/-). I was doing it myself with
a 22 inch self-propelled push mower and it took me between 4 and 5 hours
total, but not all at once. This past week, Becca offered to help (we
have a second 22 inch mower) so the two of us mowed one morning for a
little over 2 hours... and I finished up the next day. It isn't fun,
but it was good exercise and with the two of us working at it, time
seems to pass by pretty quickly.

We are going to buy a tractor shortly. I figure something with a 48 inch
deck will cut mowing time down to around 2 to 2.5 hours. Very little
trimming to do except around the house so that won't slow me down.

George L